Stay current: the week’s best solar links

We’ve rounded up our top reads of the week about solar and the future of the energy — so you can stay current.

-A new forecast from Bloomberg New Energy Finance suggests that clean energy is poised to dominate in the coming decades. Between 2016 and 2040, global investment in renewables is predicted to reach $7.8 trillion (led by solar), compared to $2.1 trillion for fossil fuels. During that period, more than two-thirds of new electricity capacity will be renewable. (Bloomberg / Tom Randall)

-A Boston University study offers further evidence that rooftop solar panels can save money for everyone – yes, even for homes that don’t have solar panels. The reason, explains Professor Robert Kaufmann, is that solar power helps avoid the need for operating expensive power plants; that, in turn, lowers the cost of electricity for all consumers. (Boston University / Nancy Averett)

-America’s cars, trucks, and planes now rival its power plants for being the country’s biggest source of carbon pollution. The transportation sector and the electricity sector each currently accounts for roughly one-third of the country’s CO2 emissions, although electricity generation has recently become cleaner thanks to advances in renewables and energy efficiency. Those same innovations, it turns out, will be crucial for realizing the promise of sustainable transportation. (Vox / Brad Plumer)

-Solar power can make living in affordable housing even more affordable. Community HousingWorks, which operates affordable housing communities, will partner with Everyday Energy and SolarCity to install 12 new solar arrays –- totaling 2.9 megawatts of electric capacity. (CleanTechnica / Derek Markham)

A solar power system is customized for your home, so pricing and savings vary based on location, system size, government rebates and local utility rates. Savings on your total electricity costs is not guaranteed. Financing terms vary by location and are not available in all areas. $0 due upon contract signing and no security deposit required for leases and PPAs. A 3 kW system starts at $25-$100 per month with an annual increase of 0-2.9% each year for 20-30 years, on approved credit. SolarCity Corporation will repair or replace broken warranted components. SolarCity DBA Tesla Energy CA CSLB 888104, MA HIC 168572/EL-1136MR, other contractor licenses. SolarCity is not the lender and only the third party lender may approve, offer, or make a loan.

Savings based on SolarPPA and SolarLease customers with at least twelve months of billing data. Savings Rate calculated by subtracting PPA or equivalent lease kWh rate from relevant utility kWh rate. Savings calculated by multiplying actual kWh supplied by SolarCity in customers' first year times Savings Rate. Excludes fully or partially prepaid contracts.

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*Based on SolarCity average system size of 6 kW and 8,418 kWh average first year production degraded by .5% annually over 30 years. Environmental benefits based on data collected from: Environmental Protection Agency, US Geological Survey, Global ReLeaf, and National Geographic April 2014.